Karachi born director and producer Bassam Tariq, who also has Riz Ahmed’s Mogul Mowgli to his credit, is in talks to direct Marvel Studio’s upcoming movie Blade, starring Mahershala Ali.
The two-time Oscar winner was announced to portray the vampire hunter at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. The highly anticipated film is currently undated, but expected to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four.
Bassam’s most high-profile movie to date was 2020’s Mogul Mowgli. Tariq’s filmography of documentaries and short films includes These Birds Walk, 11/8/16, Red Mountain Choir, Wa’ad, Mogambo and Ghosts of Sugar Land.
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According to Variety, in February, Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour was confirmed to write the movie’s script with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige producing. Wesley Snipes previously played the half-vampire superhero in a trilogy of box-office blockbusters, beginning with 1998’s Blade. The series, which included 2002’s Blade II and 2004’s Blade Trinity, focused on the vigilante, a human who possesses vampire strength and protect humans from the bloodsuckers.
The long-anticipated reboot came together after Ali, who starred in the Marvel series Luke Cage for Netflix, made it known to Marvel Studios that he wanted to take up Snipes’ superhero mantle. Marvel Studios eagerly accepted Ali’s pitch and the rest is cinematic history.
